Growing Plants in the Fall and Winter

Growing Plants in the Fall and Winter

Thinking about growing plants during the fall and winter? It can be done!

An obvious pick for winter gardeners is to grow plants in greenhouses, cloches, or cold frames. These structures can help you grow a variety of plants in a controlled environment. There are greenhouses and other structures for a variety of budgets. Find out everything you need to know about growing plants in greenhouses at this excellent greenhouse guide.

Fall and early winter is a great time to plant bulbs. Bulbs can often be the first flowers to bloom in late winter and early spring. Some of the best bulbs for planting in the fall and winter include daffodils, day lilies, iris, tulips, and ranunculus. Get out and get your hands dirty planting bulbs so that you’ll be rewarded with color in the spring! The University of Illinois has a great site about planting bulbs.

Growing houseplants and windowsill gardens is another way to enjoy the winter months with plants. To properly grow plants indoors, you should have a spot that gets plenty of sunlight. You can use a variety of containers for your plants. Terrariums are also an excellent way to enjoy plants and gardening indoors. Please see this handy website on container gardens for more information on growing plants indoors.

To enjoy plants outdoors in the cooler months, try growing them in containers and raised beds. A lot of plants that wouldn’t ordinarily survive in the winter can grow well in raised beds. Why? Because the soil heats up quicker in the small space of a raised bed than in a large garden plot, so the roots are less likely to freeze. The soil also dries out quicker, so plants will not be sitting in wet soil for extended periods of time, attracting plant diseases like root rot. See this website for tips on growing plants in raised beds.

Please read the sections on growing ornamental plants and vegetables for more information on growing plants outdoors during the fall and winter.

we just moved to crawfordville, ga., about 9 months ago we planted in a garden plot that was used before we moved in but our garden did not do good, it grew but did not produce much. I would like to try a fall and winter garden, what can I plant and what can I do to improve the soil?